Published on Friday, November 6, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Costa Rica welcomed its first nonstop flight from Poland, establishing the first direct air connection between the two countries, the Tourism Institute (ICT) announced Thursday.

LOT Polish Airlines has begun operating flights between Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) in Guanacaste Province and two Polish airports: Warsaw Chopin International Airport (WAW) in Warsaw and Katowice Wojciech Korfanty International Airport (KTW) in Katowice, authorities said.

The new service was made possible through an agreement between CORIPORT, the company that manages Liberia's airport, and Polish tour operator Rainbow. The agreement allows charter flights between the two countries using a Boeing 787-8 aircraft with a capacity of 250 passengers.

 

Founded in 1990, Rainbow is one of Poland's leading tour operators. The company is a member of the Polish Chamber of Tourism and a founding member of the Polish Association of Tour Operators.

Several airlines already offer flights between Costa Rica and Poland, although these services require one or more connections. They include Iberia, SWISS, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM and American Airlines.

Additional details, including flight schedules and ticket prices, are available on the airline's official website.

According to ICT statistics, more than 263,000 tourists arrived in Costa Rica by air from Europe through June. During the same period, more than 1.6 million international travelers arrived by air from destinations worldwide.

LOT Polish Airlines is among several international carriers expanding their services to Costa Rica. Recently, Lufthansa increased its nonstop service between Frankfurt, Germany, and Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in Alajuela Province, offering five weekly flights.

Costa Rica is stepping up efforts to attract more European visitors, particularly from the United Kingdom, through its participation in the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, one of the world's leading tourism trade shows.

Costa Rica generated more than $3 billion in tourism revenue during the first half of 2026, according to the Center for Tourism Studies.

In a related development, Costa Rica launched a $13 million modernization project at La Managua Local Airport in Quepos Canton, Puntarenas Province. The project aims to improve airport infrastructure, operational safety and air connectivity along the country’s Central Pacific Coast.

The ICT is the government agency responsible for promoting Costa Rica as a tourism destination and supporting the country's tourism industry.

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